Grain or fine particle grader



Feb. 21, 1933. J. w. HOEFLING GRAIN 0R FINE PARTICLE GRADER Filed March18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. w. HOEFLHNG 1,893,249

GRAIN OR FINE PARTICLE GRADER Feb. 21, 1933.

2SheetsSheet 2 Filed March 18, 1951 if m cIllifioeflins.

v f g Patented Feb. 21, 1933 fi l' ATES units.

JOHN W. HOEFLING, OF CHICO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO HOEIELING BROS.INC., OF CHICO, CALIFORNIA GRAIN OB FINE PARTICLE GRADER Applicationfiled March 18, 1931. Serial No. 523,557.

This invention relates to improvements in grain or fine particle gradersand material graders in general where the basis of grades or separationis difierent in thickness or diameter. The invention comprises a seriesof disks mounted upon a shaft, the complementary walls of which arecloser together around the area of the shaft than around the peripheryof the disks, whereby the material is fed to lo the disks and fallstherebetween, the downward movement of which will be limited by thevarying sizes of the material particles whereupon the material iscarried by the disks in a rotary fashion and is collected by 15providing strips interposed between each of the disks for efiectingremoval of the particles from between the disks and the collection ofthe same within receptacles according to the graded sizes of thematerial. The 9 invention further comprises means for adjusting thecollecting fingers toward and away from the rotary shaft whereby thematerial is collected from between the disks in various desired gradesby means of a simple operation. As the different grades are divided anddislodged by the tapering fingers, each falls into a separate conveyortrough for discharge from the machine.

Heretofore, it has been common practice to separate grain and other finematerial by means of vibrating screens with the smaller particlesdropping through the perforations while the larger ones continue on overthe surface. This method is objectionable, due to the fact that suchscreening apparatus occupies considerable floorspace; the operation isslow or inefficient or both; a separate screen is required for eachgradeof each material and difterent sets of screens again for differentmaterials;.there is noflexibility of separation which is fixed by thesize of the screen perforations; screens are impossible to keep clean orfree from grains wedging into the holes, thus reducing their eiiiciency;and 5 a vibrating motion of the heavy screen frames is necessary albeitgenerally objectionable.

The above objections and disadvantages are overcome by the simple discgrader embodied in this invention, based on the indi- 50 vidual gaugingof each grain or particle as determined by the depth to which it dropsbetween the inclined surfaces of the discs. Grain or similar materialmay be graded or assorted into several sizes at high capacity andefficiency and hymeans of simple rotary motion. The material is fed fromthe inclined chute, carried approximately half of one revolution of thedisc assembly and removed by a series of fingers interposed between theinclined faces of the disks. Furthermore, a

wide range or flexibility of grading is possible and easily accomplishedby simple adjustments, which may be made while in operation;comparatively small floor space is required; and there is no loss ofeifioiency by clogging. This type of machine is particularly welladapted to separating oats from barley, splits from wheat and beans,chess from grain, and grain and other material grading as deter mined bydiameter or thickness rather than by length.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description, forming a part of thisspecification and in which,

Figure l is a vertical cross-section of the invention showing the mannerin which the materialis fed to the disks and the vertical collectingfingers interposed between the grading disks;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of j tional view on lines 33 ofFigure 1 showing the collecting fingers mounted upon a transverse shafthaving its ends casing;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view'taken on line 44of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows showing another setof collecting fingers for re- F moving the particles from between the inclmed surfaces of the disks; and

Figure 5 1s a vertical transverse cross-section taken on the verticaland angular lines 55 looking in the direction of the arrows in journaledin the r Figure 1, showing the material feeding chute which is comprisedof a series of tapered fingers extending between the inclined surfacesof the disks.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustrating the inventionand wherein like reference characters will be employed to designate likeparts through-out the same, the reference character 5 will generally beemployed to designate a casing having side walls 6, end walls 7 and abottom wall 8.

Mounted between the side walls 6 adjacent the upper edge thereof is ahopper which includes a casing spanning the side walls 6 and supportedthereby. As shown in Figure 1, only one wall of the hopper is shown andthe diagonal bottom 9 extends downwardly towards the bottom wall 8 ofthe casing. Also mounted between the side wall 6 of the wcasing andjournalled therein is a rotary shaft 10 journalled in suitable bearings11 in the side walls 6 of the casing as clearly shown in Figures 3 to 5inclusive. 011 one end of the shaft 10, there is keyed a drive pulley12.

Mounted upon the shaft 10 is a plurality of disks 14 and 15, the disks14 being of slightly greater diameter than the disks 15 to avoidbridging of material across their peripheries and the disks are mountedwith their hub portions 16 and 17 closely engaging each other. The disks14 and 15 are secured to rotate with the shaft 10 in a rigid fashion bymeans of a key 18. It is to be noted that the radial faces of the discsextending from the hubs 16 and 17 are tapered as at 19 and 20respectively and the taper extends from the hub poition to the peripheryso that the outer edges of the disks are almost sharp.

The hopper bottom 9 is presented in alinement with the axes of the shaft10, and formed as a continuation of the bottom 9 are a number of fingers21 which extend between the opposite inclined faces of the disks 14 and15. In this manner, the material 22 contained in the hopper 8 is fed tothe disks and its flow controlled by an adjustable feed gate 23, securedbywing nuts 24.

As the grains of the material 22 are fed to the revolving disks 14 and15, they fall between the disks to varying depths according to theirsizes and are suspended between the inclined surfaces of the disks andcarried around in the fashion shown in Fig. 1, being removed by the difierent sets of adjustable fingers extending between the inclined surfacesof the disks 14 and 15 in grades as desired.

The dislodging fingers include a. plurality of fingers 25, extendingupwardly from the conveyor trough 26 which spans the side walls 6 of thecasing, and the fingers at ,their upper ends engage the hubs of thedisks at a point 27 in Figure 1. The trough 26 has its end secured tothe side wall 6 of the. casing, and formed integral therewith andextending parallel thereto is a similar trough 28 also extending betweenthe side walls 6 of the casing. A vertical transverse plate 29 has itslower end connected to the trough 28 and its side edges connected to theside walls 6 of the casing and the upper edge thereof is provided with atransverse bar 30 on which is fixed a set of dislodging fingers 31. Anoperating member 32 is secured to the shaft 30 and is provided with apawl adapted to engage a quadrant 33 for holding the fingers 31 in anyadjusted position according to grades desired and indicating to theoperator the position thereof. The range of adjustment of fingers 31 isdisclosed in Figure 1 in dotted lines. Pivotally mounted at the junctureof the trough 26 and 28 is a similar transverse rod 34 which has itsends journalled in the side walls 6 of the casing and aflixed to the rod34 is another set of dislodging fingers 35 as clearly illustrated inFigures 1 and 4. In Figure 1, is also shown in dotted lines the mannerin which the series of fingers 35 may be adjusted towards or away fromthe hubs of the disks 16 and 17, and an operating lever 36 is mounted onthe end of the shaft 34 for holding the fingers 35 in an adjustedposition. The lever 36 includes a pawl 37 adapted to engage a quadrant38 secured to the side walls 6 of the casing. Each of the troughs 26 and28 are provided with screw conveyors 40 and 41 respectively forconveying the material to one side of the casing where it is dischargedas desired. The screw conveyors 40 and 41 have their shafts 42 and 43journalled in the side walls of the casing 5 and are driven by suitablemeans (not shown) from shaft 10.

The coarser material, generally known as scalpings, collected by thefingers 31 drop directly downward from the edges of the disks into achute defined by the end wall 7 of the casing and thence out throughspout 45.

The construction as set forth above shows the rotor, as being made up ofindividual discs mounted on a shaft as being the preferred method ofproduction. However this rotor may also be formed from one solid pieceof material if desired, to perform the same purpose as fully disclosedherewith.

The operation. and advantages of the invention are quite apparent, andit is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of par-ts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is z--- 1. A,grading machine of the character described,,comprising a casing, a shaftmounted in the casing, a plurality of disks having inclined radial facesmounted rigidly upon the shaft, alternate disks being of differentdiameters whereby oblong grains or granular masses are prevented frombridging over the spaces between the disks, and means for collecting thematerial from between the disks.

2. A grading machine of the character described, comprising a casing, ashaft rotatably mounted in the casing, a plurality of disks havinginclined radial walls mounted in close relation on the shaft, alternatedisks being of different diameters whereby oblong grains or granularmasses are prevented from bridging over the spaces between the disks,means for feeding granular material between the disks, and adjustablemeans for collecting the material from between the inclined walls of thedisks.

3. A grading machine of the character described, comprising a casing, ashaft transversely arranged relative to the casing and having its ends journalled in the side walls thereof, a plurality of disks closelyarranged on said shaft, each of said disks having inclined radial faces,said inclinations gradually extending from the hubs to the perimeter ofthe disks, a hopper supported by the casing and having its dischargeopening presented to the rotary disks, and adjustable fingers presentedbetween the inclined radial walls of the disks for removing particles ofmaterial lodged therein. I

4t. In a grading machine, a shaft, a pan of disks mounted thereon andhaving their proximal faces gradually increasingly separated from theircentral portions to their peripheries, means to feed unsized materialinto the space between said disks along the radial extent of said disks,a stripping finger pivotally mounted outwardly of the periph-' eraledges of the disks and having its free end projecting into the spacebetween said disks in a position substantlally opposite the sa1d means,and means to adjust the stripping finger inwardly toward and outwardlyfrom the center of the disks.

5. In a grading machine, a shaft, a pair of disks mounted thereon andhaving their proximal faces gradually increasingly separated from theircentral portions to their peripheries, means to feed unsized materialinto the space between said disks along the radial extent of said disks,a plurality of stripping fingers pivotally mounted outwardly of theperipheral edges of the disks and having their free ends projecting intothe space between said disks in positions substantially opposite thesaid means, and means for independently adjusting certain of saidfingers toward and from the center of said disks.

6. In a grading machine, a pair of coaxial revolubly mounted disks inlaterally disposed relation and having their proximal faces graduallyincreasingly separated from their central portions to their peripheries,an inclined feeder finger extending between the disks downwardly from apoint at the peripheries of the disks to a point adjacent the axis ofthe disks, a stripping finger pivotally mounted outwardly of theperipheral edges of the disks and having its free end projecting in thespace between said disks ina posi'-' tion substantially opposite thefeeder finger, and means to adjust the feeder finger towards and fromthe axis of the disks.

7 In a grading machine, a pair of coaxial revolubly mounted disks inlaterally disposed relation and having their proximal faces graduallyincreasingly separated from their central portions to their peripheries,an inclined feeder finger extending between the disks downwardly from apoint at the periph cries of the disks to a point adjacent the axis ofthe disks, a plurality of stripping fingers pivotally mounted outwardlyof the peripheral edges of the disks and having their free endsprojecting into the space between said disks in positions substantiallyopposite the feeder finger, and means for independently adjustingcertain of said fingers toward and from the axis of the disks.

8. In a grading machine, a shaft, a pair of disks mounted thereon andhaving their proximal faces gradually increasingly separated from theircentral portions to their peripheries, means to feed unsized materialinto the space between said disks along the radial extent of said disks,a plurality of stripping fingers pivotally mounted outwardly of theperipheral edges of the disks and having their free ends projecting intothe space between said disks in positions substantially opposite thesaid means, a casing enclosing said disks and fingers, and meansoperable from the exterior of the casing for independently adjustingcertain of said fingers toward and from the centers of said disks.

9. In a grading machine, a pair of coaxial revolubly mounted disks inlaterally disposed relation and having their proximal faces graduallyincreasingly separated from their central portions to their peripheries,an inclined feeder finger extending between the disks downwardly from apoint at the peripheries of the disks to a point adjacent the axis ofthe disks, a plurality of stripping fingers pivotally mounted outwardlyof the peripheral edges of the disks and having their free endsprojecting into the space between said disks in positions substantiallyopposite the feeder finger, a casing enclosing said disks and fingers,and means operable from the exterior of the casing for independentlyadjusting certain of said fingers toward and from the centers of saiddisks.

10. In a grading machine, a pair of coaxial revolubly mounted disks inlaterally disposed relation and having their proximal faces graduallyincreasingly separated from their central portions to their peripheries,an inclined feeder finger extending between the disks downwardly from apoint at the peripheries of the disks to a point adjacent the axis ofthe disks, a plurality of stripping fingers T pivotally mountedoutwardly of the periph eral edges of the disks and having their freeends projecting into the space between said disks in positionssubstantially opposite the feeder finger,1neans for independently adjlist- I ing certain of said fingers toward and from the axis of thedisks, chutes into which the stripper fingers guide material frombetween said disks; and conveyors in certain of said chutes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN W. HOEFLING.

